Dead Hearts
by Pacho
Summary: Vinny, one of the last few HYBRIDs alive, is overwhelmed with the loss of his friends, and decides to take the short way out. A short story, of a desperate man.


**Dead Hearts**

Vinny was sitting in the living room, alone. The house was lit up with only one light. The living room illuminated a small glow onto the backyard of the house, revealing some of the dying flowers. In his chair, Vinny had a blanket, and a picture. It was a framed shot of the day in 'A day in the life of.', with everyone together. Jessa, Evan, Ryan, Alex, Jeff and himself. Vinny just stared into the picture, missing every second he spent with them. Every word, every thought, every sound. Every touch, every smile, every frown. He couldn't handle them being gone. The images kept flashing back to him. Jeff, in the room with Evan. But it wasn't Evan. He hoped it would be Evan, but it wasn't. It was HABIT, and he knew it. The very thought of the situation made him shiver with sadness, fear and agony. The camera sat next to him, on a small coffee table. Beside the camera were his glasses, a bowl with some snacks in it, and beside the bowl, a bottle of pills. Vinny laid the picture down, and grabbed the bottle, popping it open. He took a glance towards the picture one last time, before he gulped down onto all the pills inside of it. And then he just waited, before he just-.. Went to sleep. He thought it would end. He thought it would be the final way out. He WISHED it would be over. But it was far from over.

Vinny opened his eyes slightly, as he was lying down on some planks. Lots of crickets were heard in the background. He coughed a few times, before pushing himself off the floor. He felt wierd. He didn't feel like himself. He felt heavier, more suppressed than before. After looking around, he realised he was on a bridge ,over a small river. But the river wasn't water. It was the black fluid he and Lexi coughed up, when Stick-In-The-Mud appeared. Looking around a bit more, he was in a rural area, but there was nobody around. One thing he also didn't notice, is that it was night. Instead of just standing there, he got off the bridge, just walking around. The area was dead, and eerie. He thought he head things, but thinking back, he couldn't remember anything. After mindlessly walking around for a while, he saw a bright figure run past the end of an alleyway.

"Wait-.. WAIT!" He shouted, before running after the figure. As he ran down the alleyway, he was running past trash bins, and trash. And just as he got close to the end, he'd see the same trash bin he saw in the start, and so on. He was running endlessly. He stopped, and turned around only to see a wall. Turning around once more revealed for him to be in a backyard. With his back to the wall, he started walking to the house door opening it. Inside, there was a glorious sight.

On the couch, sat Jessa. Just smiling and waving at Vinny. Next to her, her boyfriend, Jeff. He was also nodding and smiling. Next to them Alex and Ryan giving him a thumbs up. He thought he died and went to heaven. He smiled, and started to approach them, before he stopped and realised something. Evan is missing. But that didn't quite bother him, it was logical. Evan was still alive. Still in the real world, left to the torture and misery that is HABIT. It made Vinny feel bad for leaving him, but on the other hand, he's back together with his friends. He hugged Jessa, Jeff, and everyone around. He almost began crying out of happiness. They were together once again. It's over. The pain, the suffering, it's over.

But before even saying a word, the door got slammed on. A very loud knock was heard, each time getting faster and louder, before a familiar laugh is heard. A sinister, raspy, disorted, and pure Evil voice. The door bursted open, and in stepped Evan. But once again, that wasn't Evan. It was HABIT. Stepping in, holding an axe, he adjusts his hat, and speaks:

"Oh! What's this? A reunion? And I wasn't invited? How fuckin' rude is that?" HABIT laughed, looking at Vinny.

"How's it feel? How's it feel to hold them in your arms once again after a long time? Feels good don't it?"

Vinny just stood there, shaking.

"Shame you'll have to lose them once again."

It was then when he turned around, only to see everyone gone. Filled with anger and fear, he faced HABIT, and shouted at him:

"What do you WANT!?"

HABIT's grin went to a sneaky smile, as he calmly and playfully spoke:

"Relaaax. I'm just having fun. Nothing wrong with that, hmm?"

"Where are they?"

"They're dead, Vin. They're gone. But you ain't. You're still standing. And it's time to go home Vin. You'll go home, grab a cup of tea, and forget about all of this. You know why? Because you have to fight. There's still something in you, that pushes you on, ain't there? And there are other fighters. Other people who are still in this. You can't just leave them."

"Oh please, don't tell me about morals and what's wrong and right."

"Touché! Touché.. But deep down, you know I'm right. And you know you will fight. Now. Lights off."

HABIT claps, as the light is turned off, before the lamp flickers a couple of time. With each flicker, Vinny was in another room. He was in all the places he was in with the crew. Their homes. The homes where they grew up. With each flicker he saw them, smiling, having fun together, laughing. Only, he wasn't there. He then realised, they were in heaven. They've done their part, and now they're living on in the afterlife. And now it's time for him to do his part. Maybe he'll finally get his reward. His peace. His friends.

With one last flicker, he was sitting in his chair, looking down to the picture on the table. He held it, and smiled. They were his everything. And they are gone. They make him feel he's falling down.

Dead Hearts are everywhere.

They were kids that I once knew.

Dead hearts are everywhere.

They were kids that I once knew.

It was then when Evan knocked on the door, in the bloody hoody. Vinny stood up, placed the picture aside, and grabbed his camera.

In comes l'esprit de l'escalier


End file.
